Adjustable shelf



Oct. 13, 1936. R. A. HEIM ADJUSTABLE SHELF Filed July 25, 1955 Q -9VVENTOR.

a i D ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct.- 13, 1936 PATENT OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE SHELF Roy A. Heim, Evansville, Inc., New York, N. Y.,

ware

-Ind., assignor to Servel, a corporation of Dela- Application July 25, 1933, Serial No. 682,056 10 Claims. (01. 211-153) This invention relates to cabinet shelves and more particularly to an adjustable shelf for household refrigerators.

Refrigerator cabinets are generally provided with a sufficient number of shelves so spaced as to afford maximum usable shelf area. On account of the various sizes and changing combinations of articles stored in a refrigerator, it is difficult to provide a fixed shelf arrangement that meets all requirements. In order to increase the flexibility of the shelf arrangement it has been the practice to provide one or more shelves comprising two or more separate sections which are individually removable to facilitate reception of odd size receptacles or a greater number of bottles. When such shelf sections are removed from the cabinet they become a nuisance and are easily mislaid or even lost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable shelf for refrigerator cabinets comprising sections that may be telescoped to reduce the shelf area and thus admit receptacles of greater height than the height of the shelf above the bottom of the cabinet or the next lower shelf. The invention, together with its objects and advantages, will be more fully understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. l is a perspective of a shelf embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a plan view showing the shelf sections in completely telescoped relation;

Fig. 3, a perspective of a refrigerator provided with a shelf contemplated by the invention; and 35 Figs. 4, 5, and 6, three detail views of the shelf clip indicated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the shelf is of the general type comprising essentially a wire or rod frame supporting a plurality of parallel crossbars or ribbons which extend from the front to the rear of the shelf when the latter is mounted in a refrigerator cabinet as shown in Fig. 3. Since the cabinet is substantially rectangular, the shelf frame I0 is also rectangular to fit within the storage compartment of the cabinet and is provided with a center rod I3. That portion of the frame forming the front edge of the shelf comprises a separate rod ll provided at its ends with spring clips l2 and I2 for normally engaging the ends 50 of the main frame ID as shown in Fig. 1. One of the spring clips 12 is illustrated in detail by three views in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 and comprises a body portion secured around the end of the separate frame rod l l and an extending clip portion adapt- 5 ed to engage an inwardly bent 'end of the main frame rod Ill.

At the ends of the frame III are single cross bars or ribbons l8 and I8 having curved ends, as indicated at 19, which are secured to the end rods of 60 the frame and are supported at a point intermediate the ends by the center rod 13. The cross bars I8 and I8 extend substantially across the full width of the frame at its ends and constitute guide members. The rear section of the shelf is completed by a plurality of parallel crossbars or ribbons l6 secured at opposite ends on the rear rod of the frame In and the center rod 13. 1 The front section of the shelf is completed by a plurality of similar parallel crossbars or ribbons l5 attached at opposite ends to the separate frame rod II and a slide bar M.- The latter extends beneath the rear ribbons l6 and its ends I! and H are bent up and over the siderods of the frame In in sliding engagement therewith. The front ribbons l5 are spaced the same distance as the rear ribbons IE, but are so located as to interdigitate therewith as shown. Two of the front ribbons 15 are longer than the others and project slightly beyond the slide bar l4, these projections 20 and 20 turned to extend over the rear rod of the main frame Ill in frictional or resilient engagement therewith when the front shelf section is telescoped into the rear section and hereinafter described.

The shelf may be mouvted in a refrigerator cabinet 2|, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and secured in position in any desired manner as by shelf hooks, not shown, for supporting the shelf frame l0. .Assuming that it is desirable to place articles such as bottles in the bottom of the storage compartment of the refrigerator 2| which are taller than the distance of the lower shelf above the bottom of the compartment, the front rod H is lifted to disengage the clips l2 and I2 from the main frame Ill and, with the ends l1 and ll of the slide bar l4 riding on the side rods of the main frame Ill, the front section of the shelf may be shoved to the rear in telescopic relation with the rear shelf section until the friction members 20 and 20' engage the rear rod of the frame It) as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In this position the front section is retained securely by the friction members 20 and 20' until it is desired to again extend the shelf to the normal position. The crossbars or ribbons I5 and I6 lie between each other in the same plane, forming a single shelf being slightly upas shown in Fig. 2

till

section. Retraction of the front shelf section' in the drawing and described in the specification but only as indicated in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shelf for a refrigerator cabinet comprising, a rectangular wire rod frame having one side formed by a separate rod and a center rod connected between the ends of the frame, a spring clip at each end of said separate rod for removably securing said rod in a definite position, a plurality of parallel crossbars on said center rod and the other side of said frame forming a first shelf section, a slide beneath said crossbars and having its ends slidable on the ends of said frame, and a plurality of parallel crossbars on said slide bar and said separate frame rod forming a second shelf section, the crossbars of said shelf sections being interdigit'ated so that said sectionsmay be telescoped upon release of 2. A shelf for a refrigerator cabinet comprising, a rectangular wire rod frame having one side formed by a separate rod and a center rod connected between the ends of the frame, a spring clip at each end of said separate rod for removably securing said rod in a definite position, a plurality of parallel crossbars on said center rod and the other side of said frame forming a first shelf section, a slide bar extending transversely beneath said crossbars and having its ends slidable on the ends of said frame, a plurality of parallel crossbars on said slide bar and said separate frame rod forming a second shelf section, the crossbars of said shelf sections being interdigitated so that said sections may be telescoped upon release of said separate frame rod. and means for securing said shelf sections in the telescopic position.

3. A shelf for a refrigerator cabinet comprising, a rectangular wire rod frame having one side formed by a separate rod and a center rod connected between the ends of the frame, a spring clip at each end of said separate rod for removably securing said rod in a definite position, a

plurality of parallel crossbars on said center rod and the other side of said frame forming a first shelf section, a slide bar extending transversely beneath said crossbars and having its ends slidable on the ends of said frame, a plurality of parallel crossbars on said'slide bar and said separate frame rod forming a second shelf section, the crossbars of said shelf sections being interdigitated so that said sections may be telescoped upon release of said separate frame rod, and a resilient projection from said second shelf section adapted to frictionally engage said first shelf section in the telescopic position.

4. A shelf for a refrigerator cabinet comprising, a rectangular wire rod frame having one side formed by a separate rod and a center rod connected between the ends of the frame, a spring clip at each end of said separate rod for removably securing said rod in a definite position, a plurality of parallel crossbars on said center rod and the other side of said frame forming a first shelf section, a slide bar extending transversely beneath said crossbars and having its ends slidable on the ends of said frame, a plurality of parallel crossbars on said slide bar and said separate frame rod forming a second shelf section, the crossbars of said shelf sections being interdigitated so that said sections may be telescoped upon release of said separate frame rod, and a projection formed by an extension of a crossbars, a second section bar extending transversely said separate frame rod.

crossbar of said first section adapted to frictionally engage said second shelf section in the telescopic position.

5. A shelf comprising, a fixed section consisting of a frame supporting spaced parallel slidable on said frame and having parallel crossbars spaced intermediate the crossbars of said fixed section such that said sections may be telescoped, means for supporting said slidable section from said frame, and means for resiliently retaining said sections in telescopic position.

6. A shelf comprising a fixed section and a movable section, :each section comprising a substantially rectangular frame having spaced longitudinal members connected by spaced relatively fiat cross bars, said shelf sections being assembled with the cross bars of each frame section overlying a longitudinal member of the cooperating frame section, certain of said cross bars of one section being extended in a manner to engage a frame member of the other section and thus maintain the sections in a substantially fixed relation.

7. A shelf comprising a fixed section and a movable section each having front and rear longitudinal bars, portions of the fixed section being extended to form guides for the movable section, the rear longitudinal bar of said movable section being slidably disposed between the front and rear longitudinal bars of the fixed section and'being extended to bear upon ends of the fixed section, and said rear section including relatively fiat cross bars beneath which said rear side of the movable section is disposed.

8. An extensible shelf comprising a pair of frames, each frame comprising side bars and ribhon-like cross bars connecting said side bars, said frames being assembled in overlapping relation with a side bar of one between the side bars of the other and with said ribbon-like cross bars of one frame overlying one side bar of the other frame, one frame section being provided with guides for the other frame section, said guides extending substantially parallel to said ribbon-like cross bars and overlying the side bar of the one frame between the side bars of the other frame.

9. An extensible shelf comprising a pair of frames, each frame comprising side bars and ribbon-like cross bars connecting said side bars, said frames being assembled in overlapping relation 'with a side bar' of one between the side bars of the other and with said ribbon-like cross bars of one frame overlying one side bar of the other frame, one frame section being provided with guides for the other frame section, and one of said frame sections having one or more of its'cross bars extended in a manner to resiliently engage the remote side bar of the other frame section for maintaining the frame section in telescoped relation.

10'. An extensible shelf -'co1nprlsing a fixed frame and a movable frame, each frame having side bars and ribbon-like cross bars, said frames being assembled with the ribbon-like cross bars for the movable frame, that side bar of the movable frame underlying the ribbon-like cross bars of the fixed frame having its extremities overlying portions of the fixed frame whereby vertical movement of said side bar is prevented.

ROY A. HEIM. 

